The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting coins, in which a plurality of differently sized rectangular coin sorting slots are formed in a coin sorting plate, and a plurality of almost elliptical coin carrying slots are formed in a coin carrying vessel. Each of the coin carrying slots consists of a large arc and a small arc, and therefore, a large coin is settled into the large arc, while a small coin is settled into the small arc of the coin carrying slot. Accordingly, when the coin carrying vessel with the coin carrying slots formed therein revolves, a large coin drops into a large coin sorting slot, while a small coin drops into a small coin sorting slot. Thus the sorted and dropped coins are guided by a plurality of guides respectively, thereby making it possible to sort coins according to their sizes.
Generally, in the commercial transactions and in the financial transactions, large quantities of coins are required at the transaction sites or at the financial organizations. Accordingly, there are the requirements that coins be accurately sorted, and these requirements are being increased day by day. Generally, the conventional coin sorting apparatus, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,751, includes: a coin carrying vessel for carrying the coins; and a coin sorting device for sorting the coins thus carried. The coins which are carried by the coin carrying vessel to the coin sorting device are sorted in the following manner. That is, when the coin sorting device revolves together with the coins, if the coins encounters a sorting hole, then the coins are discharged owing to the centrifugal force. The coins which are sorted in this manner are received into receiving vessels respectively according to their sizes. In this apparatus, the coin sorting device which sorts the coins according to their sizes are the principal part.
In the above described conventional coin sorting apparatus, within the passage through which the coins rollingly pass, there are formed a plurality of coin sorting slots having different sizes respectively. Thus when the coins rollingly move through the above mentioned passage, if the coins fall into the coin sorting slots, then these coins are dropped and sorted. That is, a coin orbiting plate has a plurality of differently sized elongate slots, and when the coin orbiting plate revolves, the orbiting coins drop after passing through the elongate slots according to their sizes. The coin sorting apparatus in which the coin sorting slots are formed in the coin passage shows a slow sorting speed. Meanwhile, the coin sorting apparatus in which the coin orbiting plate having the plurality of coin sorting slots shows a low accuracy of the sorting.
The present invention is intended to overcome the above described disadvantages of the conventional techniques.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for sorting coins, in which the sorting speed is high, and the sorting accuracy is also superior.
In achieving the above object, the apparatus for sorting coins according to the present invention is constituted such that the sorting of coins is realized as soon as the coins are carried. Accordingly, the structure of the coin carrying device and the structure of the coin sorting device are different from those of the conventional coin sorting apparatus. The coin carrying device includes a plurality of coin carrying slots, and each of the coin carrying slots consists of: an arcuate portion of a large radius, and an arcuate portion of a small radius. Thus in the large radius arcuate portion, there can be settled a large coin, while a small coin can be settled in the small radius arcuate portion. Further, a plurality of coin sorting slots are formed on a coin sorting plate, and the coin carrying slots revolvingly pass over the coin sorting slots. The coin sorting slots are arranged around the coin sorting plate, and the sizes of the circularly arranged coin sorting slots become larger as advancing clockwise. The first coin sorting slot allows the smallest coins to be dropped through it, while the last coin sorting slots allows the largest coins to be dropped through it. The lower portion of the coins are supported at the round supporting lines until the last moment when the coins are dropped. So as to make sure for the coins to be supported at the round supporting lines, the large or small coins are made to contact with the small radius arcuate portion. As described above, the apparatus of the present invention ensures that the coins are sorted simultaneously with the their carrying. Therefore, the coins are put into the coin carrying vessel at a constant rate, and one coin can be put into each of the coin carrying slots. Accordingly, the thickness of the shell of the coin carrying vessel is made to be same as or smaller than the thickness of the thinnest coin. Even if two or more coins are stacked in one slot, the stacked coins are dropped when the coin carrying slot orbits to be overlapped with the next coin sorting slot.